Stephen

Extract 98
Maybe I was unduly worried – God is big enough to break out of the tombs we lock him in! Stephen, one of the seven administrators has been preaching about Jesus everywhere he goes – so much so that the authorities have ordered him to stop. I love it! The enemy tries to stop the kingdom being born by killing my son. But God raises him to life creating more courageous support for the kingdom than there was before! Then when the kingdom is growing faster than any of us believed possible the enemy tries to slow it down with bureaucracy, but God uses those appointed to administer it to become catalysts for even faster growth!

The enemy can't win!

Extract 99
But he can still hurt us. Stephen was killed yesterday. It reminded me so much of Jesus – you could see where it was leading, but no amount of persuasion could deflect him from doing what was right. He was preaching in the market place as they distributed food to the poor, telling people the extraordinary story of Jesus, his life, his death, his resurrection. Then a group from the synagogue of free men (who were actually slaves of the enemy) and one of the rising stars of the Pharisees began to argue with him. Saul, the Pharisee, has been opposing and persecuting believers all over the region and is obviously looking to make a name for himself here in the Capital. After a while it must have become clear that they could not defeat Stephen's arguments, so they went and accused him before the High Priest.

John & I went to the trial to support Stephen. I could see where it would end. It was just like it was when Jesus was in our synagogue, before Pilate, on the road to Golgotha. Nothing could stop Stephen. He spoke the most powerful sermon I have ever heard. Starting with Abraham, he explained how God has always given Himself for His people and how we have always ended up rejecting His offer of love. He finished by explaining how Jesus was the incarnation of God's love and that this generation had acted just like all the others – rejecting, not just his messengers, but this time, His very son. It was too much for the authorities. Enraged at Stephen's accusation of them, they confirmed his accusation – by killing another of God's messengers. A man so filled with God's love, with the Spirit of Jesus that his face, even when he was being stoned, looked like an angel. I will never forget his final words:

"Behold, I see the heavens opened up and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Lord, do not hold this sin against them!"